Courtyard House: Starting with a 28-inch motorcycle

The next morning, Lou Xiao'e was still curled up in bed, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, sleeping soundly. He Yushui wanted to take her out to play, but after knocking twice and receiving no answer, she was about to knock again when He Yuzhu stopped her.

After breakfast, He Yuzhu went out to pay New Year's visits.

He went straight to Li Wangcai's place and hired a child for two cents to call for help. When Li Wangcai heard that it was He Yuzhu who was looking for him, his heart warmed, and he immediately ran out and met his old acquaintance at the alley entrance.

He Yuzhu didn't waste any words, and led him directly to a secluded corner before speaking in a low voice:

"Senior Brother Li, how's business lately?"

Li Wangcai suppressed his excitement and said in a low voice, "Ever since you left, we've gone back to our old ways, but we've neglected it for too long. Now, going back, we're constantly being bullied. But if we work hard, we can barely make ends meet."

"Junior brother, just say the word, and we can call back our brothers anytime to do your bidding!"

He Yuzhu nodded and took out a small bag from his pocket: "Here are ten for you during the New Year period. Use them to make some money during the holiday. After the New Year, we'll go back to the old ways, but remember—stability is key."

"From now on, I'll focus on collecting antiques, with gold and jewelry as secondary. I won't contact you during this period, so don't show your face either."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious. His antique appraisal skills were now nearly perfect; he could spot a fake at a glance, and he even had knowledge of overseas collections. Those paintings, calligraphy, and porcelain pieces were worth far more than gold bars. The few pieces Li Wangcai had sent earlier were all genuine.

"I'll say it again: proceed with caution. If you're exposed, you're on your own. I might have to make another trip in the second half of the year, and by then you'll have to shut up completely. You'd better find a legitimate business, even if it's just for show."

Li Wangcai smiled bitterly: "I understand, junior brother. But the backgrounds of us... aren't exactly clean. If we could get jobs in factories, who would want to do this dangerous work? But you're right, at least we need some semblance of dignity, so we'll accept carrying heavy loads."

When Li Wangcai thought about his previous extravagant spending, his heart sank – if he continued like this, he would be exposed sooner or later, and the risk was too great.

It's safer to listen to my junior brother. Even if half of the brothers have to do odd jobs or carry bags, it's still more discreet than the whole group going out to sell ginseng on the street.

He Yuzhu tossed him ten ginseng roots and turned to leave.

But instead of rushing home, he took a detour and went to find Li Huaide to inquire if he knew anyone in the public security system, and also told him about Hou Kui's disappearance and abduction.

After leaving Li Huaide's place, it was nearly dusk. He then strolled to the small courtyard behind the warehouse of Xue Ru Silk Shop near Zhengyang Gate.

After Hou Kui was lost, Chen Xueru never went back to the old house and stayed here. She had actually softened her stance towards her mother, but she still felt a little uneasy about sitting down face to face and calling her "Mother."

When He Yuzhu arrived, the house was empty, and he didn't know where she had gone.

However, he was well-prepared. He bought a lot of New Year's goods and even made dumplings with seven different fillings, sixty of each, for a total of four hundred and twenty. Even if she ate dumplings for every meal, she could last until the Lantern Festival.

Winters in the North are natural freezers; if you put things in a corner and close the lid, they won't spoil for three to five days.

As for this courtyard, it was renovated under the personal supervision of Chen Xueru. It is incredibly well-equipped, with even a bathtub built in.

He was engrossed in making dumplings in the kitchen, his hands moving so fast they were almost blurry. One by one, the dumplings, shaped like ingots, were neatly arranged on the cutting board. Before he could catch his breath, he heard footsteps outside.

Chen Xueru is back.

As soon as she entered the house and sensed someone inside, she quickened her pace and walked further in. Only when she saw that familiar figure in the kitchen did her tense brows relax and her lips unconsciously curl into a smile.

"Didn't you say the shop was closed for the New Year? Why are you out today?" He Yuzhu didn't even look up, his hands still busy.

"We went to hand over the public accounts. It was a considerable amount. I went with the accountant and Fan Jinyou. We came back after we finished reconciling the accounts."

Chen Xueru took off her scarf and coat, washed her hands, and prepared to lend a hand, but He Yuzhu stopped her with a glance: "Don't interfere, I'll take care of it right away. You put the vegetables in the steamer on the table first, and we'll eat as soon as my pot of dumplings is done."

"Okay, then hurry up."

She caught a glimpse of the speed at which he was making dumplings—one every five seconds, thin skin, even filling, and pleats as delicate as embroidery. If she were to join in, the two of them would end up with two completely different styles, resulting in a haphazard stew that would look terrible.

After He Yuzhu finished up, covered the steamer basket, put it away, washed his hands, and sat down at the dining table, the aroma of the food already filled the room.

His superb cooking skills are no joke; one bite can soothe a burning desire in the heart and warm the very core of one's being. These days, he cooks for her every few days, hoping to gradually warm her spirits up.

"Fan Jinyou also knows about Hou Kui's affair. He's been very attentive these past few days, sending me gifts all the time, and implying that he wants to marry me..." Chen Xueru picked up a piece of food and said in a light tone, "But I can see clearly that he's not after me at all. He just wants to disgust Xu Huizhen and use me as a pawn."

Hou Kui has been missing for some time now, and she is finally able to talk about it calmly. However, she still goes to the police station from time to time to ask for news, but the hope is slim, like a spark in the wind, about to be extinguished.

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu's brows furrowed, and he said coldly, "That bastard, I'll kick him out after the New Year! How dare he lay a finger on my woman?"

Chen Xueru chuckled and rolled her eyes at him: "You're still eyeing what you don't have, aren't you?"

"...Let's eat." He Yuzhu coughed twice, then bent down to ladle out some soup. "Here, snow frog and white fungus soup, specially made for health."

He felt a little guilty every time this topic came up.

After the meal, he quickly cleared away the dishes, wiped his hands clean, sat down next to her, and kept her company as she digested her food.

Chen Xueru suddenly touched her belly and said softly, "Why haven't I shown any signs of pregnancy for so long? Is it because you're still too small?"

He Yuzhu's face immediately darkened, and he retorted, "Nonsense! What nonsense!"

"I was talking about age!" Chen Xueru laughed in exasperation, pinching his arm. "What are you thinking about all day!"

"You're all I can think about." He blurted out, then realized it was wrong, but he wasn't lying.

He's got an insane amount of energy; if he really let loose, he could wear someone down to the point where they can't get up.

Chen Xueru pinched him again and snorted, "Stop talking nonsense. I must have been blind to have fallen for you..."

"Did you deliberately get me drunk back then?" She glanced at him sideways, her tone barbed.

"How could I dare!" He Yuzhu said with a wronged expression. "Back then, I was such an honest young man..."

It's probably because of his strong physique and high hormone levels that his desire in this area is so intense.

After chatting and laughing with her for a while, seeing that she was in a good mood, He Yuzhu took a deep breath and finally spoke:

"Xueru, I... I might get married after the New Year."

As soon as she finished speaking, the smile on her face seemed to be swept away by a cold front, freezing instantly, and then peeling away inch by inch, like ice and snow under the scorching sun, melting away in the blink of an eye.

For a long while, no one spoke. Five or six minutes passed before Chen Xueru finally held her breath, grabbed He Yuzhu's arm and twisted it several times, gritting her teeth as she said, "Do you have to upset me when I'm in a good mood? Come on, come inside with me!"

"Go inside? What for?"

"Even if we can't get married, I'll still be the one to have the first child!"

Before she finished speaking, she grabbed He Yuzhu and pulled him into the house, slamming the door shut and closing the windows tightly.

After all that fuss, she was exhausted and too lazy to move. She crawled into bed, not even wanting to eat dinner, and closed her eyes to go to sleep.

He Yuzhu said a few words to her and then turned to leave. He had to go back to the Chen family tonight, but before leaving, he took a detour to the bathhouse and got a full-body treatment—a back scrub, a bath, and a shave, leaving him thoroughly clean.

After coming out, the fragrance he had picked up from Chen Xueru was completely gone.

When he returned to the Lou family home, he deliberately took out a painting and a purple clay teapot from his Accelerated Life Space, just in case he was asked why he came back so late, he could use these as a shield.

He pushed open the door and went inside. Lou's mother, Lou Xiao'e, and He Yushui were eating around the table. As soon as He Yushui saw him, she immediately asked, "Brother, why are you so late?"

"I met a friend and we talked about some things."

He Yuzhu smiled calmly, sat down at the dining table, carefully placed the purple clay teapot on it, and turned to Lou's mother, saying, "Mom, take a look at this teapot. If it's genuine, give it to Dad. They say it's from the Ming Dynasty..."

In fact, he had already authenticated it—it was a genuine Ming Dynasty artifact, worth several thousand yuan now, but he traded ginseng for it.

Mrs. Lou had some knowledge of antiques, after all, Mr. Lou had quite a few such items in his collection. Upon hearing this, she immediately picked them up and examined them closely.

After examining it for a while, she nodded in confirmation: "It is indeed from the Ming Dynasty. It's hard to determine which reign title it is; we'll have to let Lao Lou take a look to be sure."

He Yuzhu smiled faintly: "Then I'll bring it to Dad later. It was originally bought for him."

Lou's mother asked, "Where did you get this from?"

"A friend introduced me to this. Someone wanted to buy ginseng, but after going around in circles, they came to me. I didn't take any money, and after a lot of haggling, I got this teapot and a painting in return. Since the teapot is real, the painting should be genuine too."

After saying that, he took out the painting and handed it over. Lou's mother wasn't very knowledgeable about calligraphy and paintings, so she glanced at it a few times and told him to put it away.

"It doesn't look like a fake, let's keep it for now. If Lao Lou were to buy this teapot himself, it would cost at least two thousand yuan. It's a rare find."

"I think it's worth it too; I fell in love with it at first sight."

He Yuzhu picked up a piece of food and continued, "There are quite a few people in Beijing eyeing ginseng. I happen to have some on hand, so I'll talk to that person about it later. Rather than letting outsiders benefit, I'd rather collect it myself."

Lou's mother nodded: "You can make the decision, just don't make a fuss about it."

She never cared too much about He Yuzhu. Lou's father had said more than once that this child would surely amount to something great in the future, and he didn't take this little thing to heart at all.

After the conversation, Lou Xiao'e and He Yushui both understood the situation, but were immediately warned by Lou's mother and He Yuzhu: No one is allowed to tell anyone about this.

After finishing his meal, He Yuzhu got up to go upstairs to rest. He had been tossing and turning all afternoon, and although his back wasn't sore, his stomach was growling with hunger.